Virtual musical instruments, such as musical instrument digital interface (MIDI)-based or software-based keyboards, string instruments, and the like, typically have user interfaces that attempt to closely resemble the actual instrument. When a user selects an element of the user interface, the virtual musical instrument attempts to play a note. While these instruments are enjoyable to amateur and experienced musicians alike, they can be difficult to play when the virtual musical instrument has many possible inputs (e.g., keys, strings, etc.). For example, a harp instrument has 47 strings. If the virtual musical instrument is provided in a configuration that closely resembles the actual instrument, all 47 strings would be displayed as input options. In some cases, this can make the selection of any one string (or a combination of strings) cumbersome. Additionally, stylistic features may be difficult or impossible for a user to emulate with conventional user interfaces. This can be problematic for users who would like to include such stylistic features as they play.